Complete strangers fell into each other's arms, car horns reverberated on the streets and fireworks crossed the Athens sky as Greece exceeded their wildest expectations, beating the Czech Republic 1-0 in the semi-final.

"Athens will burn tonight," said Costas Poulios, 32, one of millions of Greeks huddled around their television screens to watch the thrilling match which was won with a goal in extra time from Traianos Dellas.

Host nation Portugal await in the final.

"There's no sleep until the final is over on Sunday," Poulios told AFP before jumping into his car to head to Athens central Omonoia square, the city's traditional place of celebration. Tens of thousands of Athenians assembled there less than an hour after the match was over.

As many as 100,000 assembled in the Salonica, Greece's second-biggest town, local police told AFP.

Once the goal went in, champagne bottles were tossed into the air and some ecstatic fans kissed the asphalt. Street sellers flogging Greek flags to the celebrating crowds ran out of merchandise in a matter of minutes.

"I just can't believe it. Huge crowds poured out on the streets as soon as the final whistle blew," said engineer Costas Rantzos, 34, from the northern city of Drama which was immediately awash with celebrations, just like any other city and village throughout the nation, according to television pictures.

And optimism was sky-high for the final, a rematch of the opening match of the tournament in which the Greeks announced their intent to surprise with a 2-1 victory over the stunned Portuguese.

"We won against them once, so why shouldn't we do it again?" Rantzos said.

"The victory will be good advertising for the country ahead of the Olympics," Georgia Kasme, an Athens student, told AFP.

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis publicly congratulated the players in a written statement.

"Our team, the team of all Greeks, today made the dream come true. It proved that when there is faith, methodical work and collective effort, everything is possible."

The national football team's qualification for the final is the greatest success in its history.

In a first for Greece, municipalities across the country had put up giant screens in central squares, some of them even on beaches, so people could watch the match taking place in Oporto.

The game threw all schedules into disarray. Some cinemas simply dumped Hollywood blockbusters and showed the football instead.

Ukrainian Eurovision song contest winner Ruslana, who is currently on tour in Greece, moved her show in the western city of Ioannina 90 minutes ahead of schedule in order not to overlap with the match.

And a village in southern Greece even postponed for a day the traditional festival of celebration for its patron-saint.

FINAL
Portugal vs Greece
Live on ESPN & BTV at 12:40 am (Monday)